New Landscapes
by The Thorned Rose
Summary: Holly is trying to escape being forced into an unwanted and abusive marriage. Her Uncle Frank brings her to Westown to allow her to sow a life of her own. She faces many obstacles in this new landscape, but soon discovers that she won't be taking this journey by herself.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Holly is trying to escape being forced into an unwanted and abusive marriage. Her Uncle Frank brings her to Westown to allow her to sow a life of her own. She faces many obstacles in this new landscape, but soon discovers that she won't be taking this journey by herself.

Holly waited impatiently in the flower shop for her Uncle's arrival. He knew she was going to be married in a few days and was bringing a batch of magic blue flowers for her bouquet. The flowers were hard to come by in town during late summer. Her mother and father were arguing in the shop over the cost of the centerpieces, so she knew her presence wouldn't be missed. When she saw the carriage coming down the road she quietly exited the shop and ran down the road to meet up with her uncle. She waved him down and he came to a stop. "He jumped down from his horse and embraced his niece. "Holly my dear what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your parents helping to pick out the corsages and such?" he asked.

"Uncle Frank please, I need you to get me out of here. I don't want to marry Neil," she said hurriedly.

Uncle Frank laughed a little and continued, "Don't tell me my favorite niece is getting cold feet."

"It's not cold feet," she screamed as she rolled her sleeve up to show him the bruises, "please, believe me. I don't love him and he doesn't love me. He is cruel. Mom and dad think he is Christ's child because he is wealthy. I will die if I don't escape here," she explained.

Uncle Frank looked around and said, "Listen, I am going to go drop off these flowers at the shop. Go back and act like everything is normal. Write a note explaining your disappearance so no one thinks you have been abducted or are missing. Then, when your parents aren't looking sneak in the back of my cart and hide yourself in one of the empty crates. By the time they have finished arguing over wedding bullshit they will find your letter but won't know where you went."

She threw her arms around her uncle with tearful eyes and said, "Thank you."

….

As she was told, she scribbled a quick note to her parents, and slipped it in her mother's sweater pocket. She peaked through the door and saw her parents going back and fourth over whether roses or carnations were better. She went to step out the door when her mother said, "And just where do you think you are going?"

She turned back around and said, "I am going grab a snack from the drugstore down the road. I'll be right back."

Her mother waved her off, and she headed towards the back of the building where her Uncle Frank was unloading the flowers. He opened an empty crate inside the carriage and told her to climb in before covering it with his tarp. He dropped the last of the flowers off and went in to say goodbye to her parents and collect her pay before he jumped on and started driving up. "When we get far enough away, you can come join me up front."

…

Holly heard a knocking and realized she fell asleep in the crate. She sat up and her uncle said, "Woooh you must have been tired. You have been sleeping for a good 8 hours. I stopped the cart a few times just to check if you were still breathing."

"I'm sorry, I worried you," she said, knowing that she hadn't slept peacefully in nearly two months.

Her Uncle Frank hopped off the carriage and said, "Stay here for a moment, I will be right back."

She nodded and started to peak out of the wagon at the town. It looked like it came straight out of a John Wayne movie. She then looked over to the building her Uncle just went in and the blood drained from her face. 'He brought me to a hospital… I have to get out of here,' She thought as she struggled to get out of the cart. When she got out, she took off.

….

Frank walked into the home of the local town Doctor and called out to his friend. "Ford, are you here?"

A tall man with dirty blonde hair and glasses, came down the stairs with some books and asked, "Are you here for your pain medicine?"

"No, actually I need your help with something else. Is anyone else here?" Frank asked.

Ford shook his head and replied, "No, it's just me."

Frank then explained his situation, "My niece is in the back of my Wagon hiding. She came with me from her hometown to escape an arranged marriage to a man who beat the crap out of her. I want to have her examined but I know she won't come in if she had to tell you how it happened. Can you examine her under the pretext that she fell off a horse?"

Ford looked outraged by the suggestion and said, "If a man put his hands on her, he belongs in jail. Why on earth would you even ask this of me?"

Frank explained, "The guy's parents own a very well-established meat company. Even if it is reported, his parents have one hell of an attorney that will keep him from prison. Holly will be forced to return home and be forced to marry this man. Please, if you don't do it for my sake, do it for hers."

Ford let out an irritated sigh and pulled on a new pair of gloves. "Bring her in then," he concluded.

…

Holly ran as fast as her pained legs would carry her and ended up near a pond. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and used the water to clean off the sweat that formed on her brow, forgetting that she was wearing makeup to hide the bruises. When she looked at her reflection in the water she let out a startled gasp. How was she supposed to hide this now she thought. Fear caused her breathing to get shallow and she started to gasp for air. The reflection of a man on a horse calling out her name was the last thing that she remembered before she blacked out.

…

Ford waited while Frank went out to the Wagon and was surprised when he came back without the girl in tow. "She's gone," he told the doctor panicked.

The doctor grabbed his bag of supplies and asked, "Do you have a picture of her?"

Frank nodded and showed him a very beautiful curly haired blonde girl with blue eyes. Ford took the photo and put it in his pocket. "I'll go get Wayne to help us look. You can trust him. Bring her back here immediately if you find her."

Frank agreed and rode off in the direction of the general store. Ford hurried over to the post office where Wayne worked and found him sorting the mail. "Wayne I need your help," he said.

Wayne knew Ford since they were children and knew that whatever he needed was urgent. When they were alone Ford pulled the picture out of his pocket and said, "I need you to find this girl. Her name is Holly, she is injured. I need you to bring her back to the clinic at all cost."

Wayne tipped his hat at Ford and said, "You can count on me."

…

Ford paced back and forth nervously in his clinic with all his supplies laid out next to a stretcher. After what felt like hours, Ford heard horseshoes speeding in his direction. He looked out the door and saw Wayne jumping down from the horse with a girl. Ford held the door open while Wayne carried her in. Wayne asked, "What happened to her?" Ford ignored his question and continued to work on her. Wayne knew better than to ask again, so he stepped back into the waiting room. Wayne paced back and forth when he remembered he still had Holly's photo. He pulled it out and placed it on top of Fords desk to return. Shortly afterwards Frank arrived in the clinic and explained the situation to Wayne. Wayne's face turned red with anger, how could any man put their hands on a woman. He waited anxiously for Ford to come out with the results.

Ford walked in a little while later and asked Frank, "Do you mind Wayne being in the room for this?"

Frank shrugged and said, "He knows the rest of the story, so why not?"

"Holly has two cracked ribs, a number of large bruises across her body, and what looks like cigarette burns. I noticed a strange looking brush burn around her wrists which suggests she was possibly tied up. She is underweight and appears to be having panic attacks. Either of which could explain why she fainted by the pond. She will be alright physically after a few days, but I have no idea how her mental state will be after enduring this kind of abuse," Ford explained.

Frank grabbed the Doctor's gloved hand and shook it, "Thank you for caring for her doc," he said quietly.

Ford continued, "I still think you should report this to the police, however since I have already agreed to keep my mouth shut in exchange for being able to treat her, I feel like I must request you at least continue to bring her to me to treat her wounds." Ford sat across from Frank and asked, "What do you plan on doing with her once she is all healed?"

Frank shook his head and said, "I haven't thought that far in advanced. This was all just sprung on me. I suppose she can work her grandfather's old farm. He left it to her after all."

Ford made a face and said, "She is a bit small to be a farmer, I doubt that would be a good profession for her."

Frank countered, "Don't underestimate the girl, she may be small but she is strong like an ox. She might not be able to handle the farm work right now with her injuries but she has her grandfather's spirit."

They were then interrupted by a voice calling out, "Uncle Frank,"

Frank stood up and before he walked in the room with her he said to the two, "Give me a moment."

As he walked closer she panicked, "Why would you bring me here?"

Frank said, "Calm down Holly, they think that you fell off your horse. You don't have to worry."

Holly let out a relieved sigh before she asked, "Wait who's they?"

Frank called the two boys in and said, "Holly this is Doctor Ford, and Wayne. Wayne found you by the river. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to find your horse."

"Your injuries are substantial, so I would like you to stay here for a few days for observation," the doctor informed her. She looked down as if she were debating what he said. He thought for a minute before adding, "Your uncle just mentioned you are new in town and would be looking for a job. Once you heal, I could offer you a part time job here from time to time."

She looked up at him and nodded, "I would like that. Thank you, you are very kind."

Ford was taken back slightly. He found it strange that she would think he is kind, but all things considered, anyone would look kind next to her former fiancé. She then let out a yawn and Ford said, "Perhaps we should let you get some rest. Have you eaten yet?" She shook her head no. Ford pushed his glasses up his nose and said, "Rest for now. I will wake you when it is done cooking."


	2. Chapter 2

Ford came downstairs with a plate of food for Holly and sat it on the table next to her. He pulled some pills out of a cabinet and said, "After you eat, I have placed your pills in this cup on side of your tray. I will be in my office in the next room. Call me if you should need anything." He looked her over and she looked petrified. Ford knew very little about comforting someone because he never really had someone to comfort him as a child. So he did the only thing he could think of at the time and said, "You're safe here Holly. I promise."

She looked down at her food and began to eat, so he walked to his office and kept and eye on her as he worked on making medicine. After Holly ate, she fell fast asleep.

…

A cold front blew through that night bringing quite a storm in it's wake. Lightning lit up the night sky as heavy winds blew through. The electricity flickered a few times until a loud boom was heard followed by a loud clap of thunder. Ford heard Holly scream in terror and fumbled for the drawer knob on his desk. He pulled out a flashlight and walked to the next room where Holly was curled up in a ball. He lit a lantern in the room and said, "Holly, I am going to go set up a generator outside, but I need you to stay calm."

She reached out to him and said, "Please don't leave me."

It was obvious she was terrified, but he needed to get the generator running in the clinic. He placed the lantern on the table and walked to the cabinet to pull an umbrella out. He was about to go outside to fix the generator. When she held his hand and tried again, "Please, I don't want to be alone."

He was annoyed, but he knew she had been through hell so he asked, "Is there anything I can do that would make you feel less scared."

She bit her lip questioning whether she should ask for it, but the honest look in his eyes gave her the courage to ask, "Could you hold my hand?"

For a second time today Ford was surprised by her. Regardless, he did realize that the action could have a soothing effect, so he held his hand out to her and allowed it. Unconsciously his mind said, 'Forget the damn generator.' He stayed with her, holding her hand until she drifted off. He smiled at her and wondered how any man could put his hands on such a beautiful and kind girl.

Once he was certain she in a deep sleep, he carefully placed her hand on her bed and grabbed the flashlight to go work on the generator. He looked back to her and mildly regretted letting her hand go because he missed the warmth of her touch. It wasn't until then that he realized that he wasn't wearing his gloves at the time he held her hand.

…

The next morning, he came downstairs and found Holly still fast asleep. He placed the breakfast he made her on the table and allowed her to sleep. He walked over to his desk with his food and noticed Wayne had left the picture of Holly there. He picked the photograph up and looked at the girl resting on the stretcher. The girl laying on the bed looked like a shadow of the girl in the picture. Her face was pale, with dark circles and a gaunt appearance from a definite drop in weight. He heard her start to stir, so he shoved the picture into the pocket of his coat. She sat up and looked at him. "Finish your breakfast, I would like to pick up some clothes for you from your Uncle Frank's house."

Holly's face turned red with embarrassment and said, "I uh… Well, I don't have any clothing with me. I was in kind of a hurry when I came into town."

He thought for a moment and said, "I suppose could call up the general store and see if they have something that might fit you. So, go ahead and eat your breakfast while I handle that. At least that way we don't have to move you."

…

About an hour later, a plump looking woman with bright red hair came barreling in the clinic holding a large bag of clothing. She looked over to Holly and said cheerfully, "Ah, you must be the patient Ford wants me to dress. I am Miranda." Holly blinked in surprise as Miranda held up dresses to her asking a million questions before she could get a word in edgewise, "My you are a pretty one, except for that bruise on your face…How did that happen sugar? I don't think I have seen you around these parts. How do you know Ford? He is an excellent doctor. Did you know that he is single?"

Holly could not process what just happened and thought to herself, 'Good god, this woman is on a mission.' Ford walked in clearly oblivious to what had just happened and asked, "Did those antibiotics I ordered come in yet?" Ford asked as he came down the stairs.

Miranda beamed when she saw Ford and said, "No not yet. Where did you find this pretty young thing? I am imagining the children already."

Ford choked on his coffee and replied, "She's a patient Miranda…If you could go back to finding something that will fit her, I would appreciate it." He poured himself some more coffee and returned upstairs before Miranda could ask more questions.

Miranda laughed heartily at Ford's quick escape and said, "Well it looks like it is just going to be us girls. Now let's try on some of these clothes. Miranda gave her a few outfits to try. They were all beautiful, but she doubted that any of them would cover all of the scars and bruises.

As she was ushered into the bathroom Miranda handed her the first outfit. The clothes were beautiful but she knew before she put them on, that it wasn't going to cover even half of the bruises. She was about to ask for something different when Miranda yelled, "I'm not leaving until I see it on you."

Reluctantly, she took her dress off with her back facing the mirror, afraid of what she might see. She pulled on the white shirt and blue skirt. It came with a vest that she put on last. She took a deep breath before she dared turn around and look. When she did her body started to tremble and her hands shook violently. She started sobbing in the bathroom. Miranda heard her crying through the door and said, "Sweetie, it can't be that bad looking. Let me see."

"No, please don't come in…"Holly called out as she continued to cry. Suddenly her legs gave out and her head hit the side of the bathtub.

The large thump spooked Miranda and he called out to the doctor, "FOOORRRRD GET IN HERE!"

Ford ran down the stairs and started to knock on the bathroom door. "Holly, Holly are you alright in there?"

Holly moaned in pain and said between the sobs, "I'm… fine, but I need help."

Ford asked Miranda to sit in the waiting room for a moment before going in. The first thing he noticed was the blood on her head, where she hit it on the tub. He grabbed some gloves, cotton, alcohol and a box of tissue paper before kneeling down next to her. He placed the tissue paper in her lap as he worked on cleaning up her forehead.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin her clothes," Holly said tearfully.

Ford focused on her injury and said, "The clothes are the least of my worries, what caused you to fall down?"

Holly got extremely quiet and looked away from him. Ford gently turned her face back to force her to look him straight in the eyes and said, "Holly, there is such a thing as doctor and patient confidentiality. You can tell me anything."

Holly chose her words carefully before saying, "I saw the bruises and it felt like it was happening all over again."

Ford nodded and finished cleaning and bandaging her head before saying, "lean forward please."

He checked the tag on the back of her outfit and wrote down the number before saying, "Stay put for a moment."

He walked over to the waiting room and said, "We'll take the outfit she just tried on but, would you mind ordering a few floor length dresses with long sleeves in this size…better yet order it two sizes larger with an elastic waist. I intend to get her to a healthy weight before she leaves."

He handed her the piece of paper and Miranda nodded, "Of course doctor. Is she going to be alright?"

Ford nodded, "Yes, but I must go back to tending to her. How much do I owe you?"

Miranda pat Ford on the back and said, "You can pay me when the other dresses come in, just go take care of her."

"Thank you," Ford said before returning to the bathroom.

He took off his coat and put it on Holly to prevent her from seeing the bruises again.

"No, Doctor Ford I am going to get blood on it," she protested

The doctor replied simply, "It's a lab coat, that's it's purpose. Now put it on and I will help you get back to bed. You can't go to sleep though, just in case you have a concussion. I will bring you a book to occupy yourself."

Holly nodded and allowed him to help her to her feet.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day was Ford's day off at the clinic. He walked downstairs to check up on Holly who was still reading the book he gave her yesterday. Since she looked like she was doing a little better, he let her browse his library upstairs. She was in awe at his collection. "This is amazing," she whispered, "you have all my favorites… Ernest Hemingway, Jane Erye, Robert Stevenson… I love it."

Ford leaned against the doorway as he looked at her eyes captivated by his library. He realized that this was the first time she started to resemble the happy girl in the photograph… He started to pat his pockets… 'The photograph…shit…' At that moment, he realized that the picture was still in the pocket of his lab coat holly was wearing. 'God… She is going to think that I am some kind of creep or stalker… How am I going to get that picture out of her pocket,' he thought to himself as he poured them both glasses of iced tea. His hands shook nervously as he handed the glass to her. "Are you alright doctor?" she asked noticing his shaking. He smiled and nodded taking a sip out of his own glass.

She drank her tea as she read one of the books from his collection. While Ford was fretting over what to do about the picture both were unaware of the blonde cowboy sneaking up behind the sofa. Wayne leaned in between them and yelled obnoxiously loud, "HOWDY THERE FOLKS!" Ford was used to it by now, but it scared the crap out of Holly who was completely engrossed in her book.

Her glass of tea fell in her lap during the startle. "Oh no, Ford I spilled it all over your jacket."

Ford jumped up and gave a totally different reaction from yesterday. "I can get that stain out of there, hold on," He ran downstairs where her old clothes were freshly washed and dried. He brought the stack to her and awkwardly continued "Here, go ahead and change into this. The bathroom is over there…" For once Ford was grateful for Wayne being his best friend and biggest pain in his ass.

Wayne eyed Ford suspiciously and while Holly was changing he said, "I don't remember you ever offering your jacket to a lady before."

"Don't read to much into this," Ford replied.

Wayne had been friends with Ford since they were kids, so he knew something was up. He pressed further, "I also don't remember you inviting another woman up to your room…well except Ms. Miranda when you had the flu…but she doesn't count."

Ford ignored Wayne knowing he would just continue to irritate him. At that moment Holly stepped out in her dress and handed him the clothes. Ford took the clothes and said, "I'll be right back." Rather than go into the closest bathroom to get the stain out. Ford ran downstairs, and Wayne knew something was up. He followed Ford down the stairs and peeked around the corner to see him pull something out the breast pocket of the jacket and slide it in the drawer. While Ford went into the downstairs bathroom to remove the stain, Wayne walked over to his desk and looked inside to see what he was hiding. He was delighted to see a photograph of the woman upstairs.

Ford peaked his head out the bathroom and asked in a lowered voice, "What are you doing in my desk Wayne?"

Wayne looked at Ford with a big ole smile and said, "I am just so proud, my little boy is growing up. So, do I hear wedding bells in your future?"

Ford rolled his eyes and said, "I just haven't had a chance to return that picture to Frank. He gave it to me when we were searching for her."

Wayne replied, "Well I would be happy to bring the photo back for you if it would be easier for you." He smirked as he shook his bag and noticed a mildly startled look on Ford's face.

"We'll I uh…ugh you are just toying with me…"Ford muttered.

"Yes, and it is so much fun. So when are you going to ask her out?" Wayne asked.

Ford hung the clothes from the shower rod up to dry and replied, "She is my patient, nothing more. Now if you want to eat lunch with us, I highly suggest you drop it."

Wayne nodded and conceded, "I will…for now."

…

Holly's parents paced back and forth as they spoke with Neil, what would have been Holly's husband had she not ran off. Neil slammed his fist on the kitchen table, "You will not get a cent of my money if she is not returned to me pronto! I will not have this kind of disobedience!" He screamed at them.

Holly's mother, Marlena tried to console him, "Now calm down dear. She couldn't have gotten that far away on foot." She looked over to her husband, and said, "Daryl, I told you we should have told her why we were encouraging the marriage. She might have stayed if she knew we how much money this partnership would generate out business."

Daryl scoffed, "You know that girl, she always has her head in the clouds. Reading books like little house on the prairie and wanting to grow up to be a farmer. What century does she think she's in. She's just like her grandfather."

Neil interrupted their banter and threatened, "Well, I suggest if you don't want to live in a farm you hunt her down. She is mine!"

…

Later that day, Wayne met up with Brad and Frank at the Garden Grill. Brad set a beer in front of them and asked, "How is that new girl doing? She's your niece right Frank?"

"I visited her right before I came here," Frank explained, "She is still beat up from that fall from the horse, but she looks like she is getting better. I found her doing her favorite pastime when I walked in…reading."

Wayne smiled at them both and said, "Oh yeah, well I have a little bit of hot gossip if you want to hear Frank. I guarantee you will be interested in hearing it."

All of a sudden Brad's wife Carrie came out of no where, and said, "OOOOOOH I love gossip! Spill the beans Ford"

Miranda also heard the word gossip and walked all the way across the restaurant and said, "People only talk about other people because they have nothing interesting happening in their life."

Wayne gave her a smug look and asked, "What about those who listen?"

Miranda started to laugh and answer, "Usually they have even less happening. Now what's going on?"

The group snickered and Wayne continued, "I think Ford is sweet on Holly."

"Ford? I think you are mistaken Wayne. I have never seen him look even remotely a in anyone," Frank brushed it off.

Miranda countered, "Maybe not, but he is still a man with natural wants and needs. I am sure he wants a family one day…"

"What makes you think he is interested," Carrie asked.

"He let her wear his lab coat… You know how much of a germophobe he is…and he allows her to read through the books in his library upstairs," Wayne explained.

"That's unusual for Ford, but I wouldn't exactly call it solid evidence," Brad countered, "Mirabelle you met the girl. How did he act around her when you visited?"

Mirabelle thought about it and answered, "Honestly I didn't say much while she was there…" She paused as all four of them gave her looks that clearly said, 'yeah right,' and continued, "Ford called me because he said she needed clothes. I brought some for her to try on, but she fell while trying on the first outfit. Ford sent me into the waiting room while he helped her up, and when he returned, he gave me her size and ordered specific types of dresses for her. Unless she has some religious reason, I can't imagine why a girl with her body would want to wear long-sleeved floor-length dresses."

Frank shook his head, "Nope, not my Holly. She never was much on religion."

"She's a bookworm and non-religious… boy they really are a match made in heaven," Carrie commented.

Wayne wondered whether he should mention the photograph in Ford's desk, but decided against it because he didn't want Frank to take it away from him if Ford really was interested. Instead, he looked at Frank and jokingly asked, "Are you ready for Ford to be part of the family?"

Frank just laughed and replied, "Eh we have plenty of nuts in our family tree…What's one extra squirrel?"


	4. Chapter 4

It was a bitter cold night in Westown. A cold front was blowing through and Ford and Holly had grown closer over the past few days. She was slowly learning to trust him. They seemed to be building some kind acquaintanceship. It was a quiet but comfortable evening between the two as they sat by the fire and played a friendly game of chess. Ford was about to make his move, when he heard a small crash that sounded like a glass breaking followed by a loud metallic crash downstairs. Ford stood up to see what fell, when he heard another much louder crash. He looked over to Holly and saw her face had gone white as a sheet. He knew about her past, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen. He handed her a knife from the knife drawer and whispered, "Hide yourself in here while I go see what's going on downstairs. Don't come out until I tell you it's safe." Tears welled up in her eyes and she nodded.

Ford grabbed then grabbed a knife for himself and quietly walked down the stairs, hiding the knife under his coat. He heard another smaller crash and prepared himself mentally for what he was about to see. He peeked around the corner and didn't see anything, but a flowerpot fallen from the windowsill in pieces next to metal platter of his surgical supplies. He tiptoed through the house when he heard what sounded like another glass object breaking. He walked into his office and saw a medal rolling cart toppled over and a number of bottles broken. He turned his head when he heard something moving on the shelf behind him and was surprised to see a black cat sitting on the shelf cleaning his foot. Ford was about to yell at the cat when he noticed the cat's foot was bleeding. Instead he went to picked up the cat, but the cat scratched his face. Thoroughly annoyed he called out to Holly, "It's safe."

Holly came down the stairs and looked over to Ford who was holding the cutest little kitty she had ever seen. She walked up to him and held the small creature in her arms, "Hello, beautiful," she said cheerfully to the animal. Ford was pissed when he first discovered the cat, but he couldn't stay angry when he saw Holly smile for the first time. He let out a sigh and asked, would you help me hold the cat while I get the glass out his foot. She nodded and ford walked into the supplies closet to get a clean towel. He then walked over to Holly and helped her wrap up the cat, before he handed the cat to her. Ford grabbed a clean pair of tweezers and gently pulled the piece of glass out of the animals paw. He then cleaned the injury and wrapped it.

Once he was finished, Holly grabbed the cat's foot and kissed it gently. She noticed Ford raised an eyebrow at the action, and she explained, "My grandfather used to kiss my booboos. He said a kiss would make it feel better."

Ford turned red as he thought about the amount of kisses he would need to perform to make Holly feel better. He shook the thought from his head and turned to pick up the flipped over cart and broken glass. Holly held the cat to ensure he didn't cause any more trouble… "Trouble…That's a good name for you," she said to the cat.

"Spot on if you ask me," Ford muttered as he worked on cleaning up the large pieces of glass. Suddenly as he was cleaning up one fallen beaker, the scent of the fallen liquid caused Ford to feel light headed and accidently put his hand on a piece of glass trying to prevent falling.

Holly saw Ford fall forward and ran over to help him. "Stop!" he yelled, she stopped short thinking she did something wrong. He then said groggily, "Put on a mask and gloves before you come over here."

She did as she was told and walked over to help him up and over to a chair. "I'll be fine in a few minutes. The fumes just got to me. I should have known better." Holly had watched what Ford did with the cat and decided to help him. She walked over to the sink to clean the tweezers with alcohol and grab new gloves. She sat a clean rag in his lap and poured alcohol on the cut on his hand before removing the piece of glass and placing gauze on it.

Ford used the gauze to apply pressure and said, "I have it from here. Go back up stairs with Trouble while I finish cleaning up this mess."

She nodded and looked him in the eyes, that was when she noticed the cat scratch on his cheek. She looked down with a blush and said, "At least let me clean this up first. She put a little bit of alcohol on a cotton ball and gently tapped it along the scratch. She then put some antibiotic cream on a bandage and placed it on his cheek. Ford looked at her curiously, she looked like there was something else she wanted to say or do, but she was too afraid to. He waited patiently before she finally made up her mind and gave him a peck on the cheek. She then grabbed Trouble and carried him upstairs as she was told.

Ford sat for a few more moments trying to comprehend what just happened. His cheek felt warm and tingly where she just kissed him and his heart was beating out of his chest. Once he managed to get a grip on reality he finished cleaning up and shut the window. He then headed upstairs where he found Holly fast asleep with the cat on her lap. Ford realized it was improper for him to sleep in the same room with Holly, so he went back downstairs to sleep on one of the cots in his clinic downstairs.

…

The next morning Miranda dropped by the clinic holding three dresses. "Here you go sugarplum," she said, excitedly," Ford mentioned that you might like longer dresses. See if any of these will work." This time her selection looked more customized to Holly's problem. Silently Holly wondered what he told her. Regardless she was thankful and went into the bathroom to try the clothes on.

The first dress was a long white eyelet dress with a blue apron on the front. The second dress was more formal, it was a floor length kimono with a snow pattern on it. When Holly tried on the final dress, it was a stewardess style dress with white shirt and khaki skirt. She tied the red neckerchief loosely around her neck and finished the ensemble off with a pair of black pantyhose. She stepped out and smiled at Miranda. "I love them," she said, "however I really only need one of them to hold me right now until I get an official job. I will take this one please." She said showing her the stewardess dress. She then asked, "How much do I owe you."

Ford walked in and answered, "Nothing. You owe her nothing. Miranda she will be taking all three dresses. It is unhygienic and inconvenient to be wearing the same clothes every single day."

"You're one to talk," he heard Miranda murmur.

He shot her an irritated glare said, "I have several of the same shirts, pants, and lab coats. I am not wearing the same clothes, it is just saves time when you don't have to worry about what you're going to wear."

Miranda snickered at his explanation and concluded, "Very well then, I will put your girlfriend's dresses on your tab. You can pay it when the special herbs you ordered comes in."

Ford knew Miranda was just trying to get under his skin and said, "Fine… and she's not…"

Miranda interrupted, "So, Holly has the doctor given you a day you can return home. Your Uncle Frank was talking about setting you up on some farmland nearby."

Holly's eyes lit up, "He must be talking about grandpa's old farm…No, I am not sure how much longer I am going to be here at the clinic, but I am grateful to be here. Thank you for caring for me Ford."

Ford pushed his glasses up on his face and simply said, "There is no need to thank me. I am just doing my job."

The small cat that broke in the clinic last night walked into the room at that moment and brushed up against Fords leg. He looked at the cat sitting by his feet and mumbled, "You must be hungry… Come on Trouble."

When he walked away with the cat, Miranda said, "I think the doctor has a soft spot for you dear. There is no way he would have let that dirty cat stay if you weren't here, even if it were a patient. If you're interested, you should probably make your intentions clear. He is a brilliant doctor, but he is a moron when it comes to girls. Now, Before I go, I wanted to tell you there is a bulletin board in front the clinic where many of the people in Westown post part time jobs. If you find yourself low on cash while you are starting the farm, that is a good place to look." Holly looked uncomfortable when Miranda was talking about Ford, but still thanked Miranda for her visit."

…

Later that day while Ford was busy counting out a prescription for Brad, Holly decided to wash the cat in the bathtub upstairs…That turned out to be a huge mistake. She filled the tub with warm water and picked up Trouble, placing him in the tub. The cat was surprisingly calm while she rubbed shampoo into his matted fur. But once she turned on the detachable shower head, all hell broke loose.

"8,9,10…" Ford's counting was interrupted by a thud and a yowling sound. Brad looked over to Ford as if to ask, 'What was that?' Ford placed the pills down and said, "I'll be right back."

When Ford climbed the steps, he could hear Holly talking to the cat, "Would you stay still Trouble… Your making a mess." He walked in the bathroom to see Holly near the bathtub which was full of hair and dirt. She shrieked as Trouble dug his claws into her back as she struggled to get him back in the tub. Ford struggled to remain calm as he saw the state of the bathtub. Instead of making a scene, he simply unhooked the claws that were digging into Holly's back and turned away to let her finish. That however caused the cat to flip out further and he launched himself on top of Ford and scattered away.

Ford was now dripping wet, covered in cat hair, and thoroughly pissed. He looked over to Holly who was busy trying to clean the mess the cat left in the tub. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING DOING THIS WHILE I AM WORKING? I CAN'T MEET WITH PATIENTS LOOKING LIKE THIS?!" He screamed.

Holly immediately put her arms in front her face, scared she was going to be hit and said, "I'm sorry…"

Ford stopped short when he saw her trembling with fear. He sighed irritably and took off his lab coat which was now covered in cat water and said, "No, I shouldn't have raised my voice. Just keep the cat out of anymore trouble and we are even." He then returned downstairs without his coat to finish Brad's prescription.

…

After Ford left to finish tending to his patient's, Holly made sure she cleaned up the tub and floor where the cat had ran. When she finally finished cleaning, she sat on the couch and dozed off for a bit. Ford felt bad for screaming at her earlier, so once he was finished with his patients he climbed the stairs to check on her. He found her asleep with a rag wrapped around her hand. He looked closer and realized that the cat had put a deep scratch across the knuckles of her left hand. He crept across the room to gather the supplies necessary to clean it and bandage it. Holly must have been exhausted, because she didn't budge the entire time Ford was working on her hand. While he fixed her hand, the most peculiar words flashed across his mind, 'My grandfather used to kiss my booboos. He said a kiss would make it feel better.' He smiled at the memory Holly shared with him, and since she was asleep, he had enough courage to kiss the bandage across her knuckles and asked, "all better?" He grabbed a blanket out the closet and let her rest.


	5. Chapter 5

The day had come…Holly was finally strong enough to leave the clinic and her uncle would be there shortly after breakfast. Ford sat silently with Holly not eating much of the breakfast he had prepared. Holly waited for Ford to say something… anything that would make this day a little less sad. She had gotten used to spending time with the doctor and was hoping that he would still want to be friends after. After a few minutes Holly asked, "Doctor Ford, I have been here for quite a few weeks. I am sure I don't have enough money to pay you right now for your services. Would you mind if I take on some odd jobs at the clinic to help cover my expenses until I can fully pay you back?"

What Ford said next surprised her, "For now, hold on to your money, so you can buy the seeds and tools you will need to get your farm up and running. If you find yourself running short on cash, I do occasionally post jobs on the bulletin board down the road from the clinic. The truth is I make the most of my money with my medical experiments and invention. This allows me to keep my clinic costs low. Now if you still insist upon paying me back, you can help me beat Brad in the beverage bash coming up next week."

"Beverage bash?" she asked curiously.

Ford said with a sly smirk, "Yes it's my favorite festival of the year. Everyone in town brings an ingredient to add to a pot of tea. Tea has several medicinal qualities, and it is always great to see a holiday that encourages a healthy habit. Any way it takes four people to make a team, and the team with the best tasting ingredient combination wins a prize. I don't particularly care about the prize, but I would like to wipe that ever-gloating smile off Brad's face. If you help me win this bash, you can forget about the bill."

Holly's eyes lit up and said, "I will try my best. Thank you, Doctor Ford."

At that moment, Uncle Frank walked in the room and asked, "Holly, are you ready to go."

She nodded, and said, "I hope to see you soon."

Ford replied, "Come by anytime. And don't hesitate to stop in if you are feeling unwell."

…

Holly struggled to pay attention to the landscape as her Uncle rode her back to her grandfather's farm. She would be on her own now and would have to use her memories of her summer trips here to help her learn how to cultivate the land. As she pulled up, she realized the farm was much worse than she remembered it. The buildings were rundown, fields littered with weeds and stones, and she is pretty sure she just saw a racoon coming out of the doghouse.

She walked up the porch with her Uncle Frank who unlocked the door for her and let her in. As she walked in and looked around she noticed all the furniture was covered in at least an inch of dust. She walked by the bed and noticed something moving in the bed sheets. Carefully she pulled the top sheet back some and found a snake. She screamed at the top of her lungs and the snake lunged at her. She took off out the door running straight into Wayne on the way out.

"Woah there, little filly! What's got you jumping like a bull frog?" Wayne asked.

"Snake!" She hollered as she ran right past him.

Wayne laughed and said, "What, you are just going to leave your Uncle and me here to get eaten?"

She ignored his question as she ran for cover. Wayne shook his head and walked in the house to collect the snake. He carried the snake by its tail and said, "Awe this is a cute little guy! You want to pet it?"

Holly peaked out from behind the barn she was hiding behind and screamed back at him, "Wayne are you crazy? Put that thing down!"

Wayne smirked and walked towards her saying, "You sure have gotten talkative since the last time I saw you. Maybe I should introduce you to my little friend… I think I'll name him Ford."

"Well you best hope that snake has a medical license, because I am going to kill you if you bring that thing any closer to me," Holly retorted.

Finally, Wayne admitted defeat and carried the snake towards the further edge of the property. Uncle Hector walked out the house and said, "I checked all over the house, there are no more snakes or signs of snakes if you want to come back in here."

Holly hesitantly walked back into the house and looked around again. Wayne followed her in and commented, "Boy this place needs a good dusting. You better not invite Ford here until you clean up some. He would have a conniption fit. Anyway, I just came over to deliver this to you. The owners of the Garden Grill Brad and Carrie would like to meet you. In order to welcome you into town they have offered you a free dinner tonight."

"Thank you, that sounds nice," Holly replied.

Wayne then tipped his hat and said, "Well, I will likely see you then. I eat dinner there almost every night. Good luck with your new home."

…

Later that evening, Wayne was the center of attention in the garden grill as he recounted his story to everyone in the bar/grill. "And then she said, 'that snake better have a medical license, because I am going to kill you.'"

The whole room rumbled with laughter. Even Ford looked mildly amused by Wayne's story. At that moment Holly walked in and looked around nervously. Ford noticed she put on the white eyelet dress without the apron. A woman with curly hair pulled up in a bun approached her and said, "Oh my, you sure are a pretty young thang. It's no wonder you're the talk of the town right now. I'm Carrie, my husband Brad and I run this establishment."

Holly smiled at Carrie and held her hand out to shake, but instead Carrie said, "Now Honey, I don't know where you came from but out here we do this." Carrie pulled Holly into a big bear hug, which caused Holly to gasp in pain.

Ford stood up and said, "Let her go Carrie, she is still sore."

Carrie quickly let go, and Holly reached out to a nearby table to steady herself. Ford walked over and said, "I think you should sit down." Holly's face was white as a ghost as she nodded in agreement. Ford pulled out a chair and helped her sit down.

Carrie looked ashamed of herself and said, "God, Holly I'm so sorry. Let me go get you something to drink."

"Thank you," Holly croaked out.

Ford looked her over and asked, "Would you like me to go over to my clinic to pick you up a pain pill?"

She shook her head no and said, "The pain is starting to fade. How is Trouble doing?"

Ford chuckled a little and answered, "In a day or two he won't need the bandage anymore. It's unfortunate, but I have grown rather fond of the furball. I think I am going to keep him."

Holly squeezed her hand in pain and smiled, "I'm glad. Maybe I could come visit him from time to time."

"I think he would like that," Ford replied simply.

A man with a chef's hat and Carrie came over with a number of plates. The man with the chef's hat introduced himself, "Hello there, I am Brad, Carrie's husband, and we would like to welcome you here to Westtown."

Carrie interrupted him and said, "We have brought you out some of our most popular dishes for you to try, and if you are free tomorrow, I would like to invite you over in the morning to have a girl's day with me and my best friend Lisette."

"Sure, I will come right after I finish my chores on the farm," Holly agreed.

Holly then turned to Ford who was sitting with her and asked, "Ford, there is far too much food here for just me, would you care to join me?"

He was surprised for a moment, but he missed having meals with her at the clinic. So, he agreed.

…

The next day, Holly got up early to sow and water the seeds she purchased at the general store. She wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to get cleaned up before heading over to the Garden Grill where they were meeting.

When she entered the grill, Carrie ushered her up to the second floor where a beautiful girl in a floral dress was putting up her hair. "Hello Holly, my name is Lisette. I have heard so much about you from the town folks."

"It's a pleasure," Holly replied.

Carrie then said excitedly, "We have decided that since you are new in town, we are going to give you a super cute make over, and then go introduce you to everyone in town. Doesn't that sound like fun? Lisette does the hair for all the folks in town, and I have quite a talent with makeup."

Holly hesitated but eventually said, "Well, I suppose."

Lisette looked at her dress and said, "Well that is just the prettiest thing I have ever seen, so let's jump straight to hair and makeup."

"How would you like your hair done?" Lisette asked.

Holly thought really hard for a few moments and said, "I want it short…really short."

Lisette was surprised by the answer and said, "How about we start of with shoulder length and then you can tell me if you want it shorter."

Holly nodded and Lisette cut large chunks off the back of her hair until it was all shoulder length. "How's that sugar?" she asked Holly.

"Could you go shorter please?" Holly asked, "I really want it cut super short."

Lisette got to work again and still it was too long for Holly's taste. Finally, Lisette gave her a bob cut and showed it to Holly. This time an old scar was visible and it reminded her of one of her worst nights with Neil. Holly broke down in tears and both girls looked at each other wondering what to do. Carrie looked over to Lisette and whispered, "Lisette Honey, why don't you go grab Ford. She seemed pretty close to him yesterday. Maybe he can figure out what's wrong."

Lisette nodded and quickly ran off to find him. Meanwhile, Carrie noticed Holly kept holding her hand on one particular spot. She gently moved Holly's hand and gasped when she saw a scar that looked like a blade mark on the side of her throat. "Holly, what happened?" Holly cried on Carrie's shoulder, completely inconsolable.

Several minutes later, Lisette walked in with Doctor Ford who immediately became concerned when he saw the emotional state Holly was in. "Would you girls mind leaving us alone for a few minutes," he asked.

Ford approached her and she clung to his lab coat and desperately. Her legs were wobbly and her breathing was ragged. "Please, tell me what happened… All of it…" He whispered softly.

It took her a few minutes to get her breathing in some semblance of control before she whispered, "I…I wanted Lisette to cut my hair short enough to…to where no one could hurt me again..."

"Someone hurt you?" he asked, although he already knew part of the story from Frank.

She nodded and said, "My former fiancé… I came here to escape him... T..That's all I can tell you for now."

She rested her head on his chest and continued, "I actually wanted my h..hair shorter than this, but I saw an old scar and I…" She couldn't say anymore and just nuzzled herself deeper in his chest.

Ford moved her hair slightly and saw the mark she was talking about. He pulled out his purple pocket square and gently pushed her back slightly so he could tie it like an ascot to hide the mark. He then turned her towards the mirror and asked, "Why don't you ask Lisette to teach you how to put your hair in a bun, rather than cut anymore off. You can always cut more off, but you can't put it back on." Holly agreed and he called Lisette back in the room.

After Lisette put her hair in a bun, she realized how compassion seemingly flourished in this city. She turned to all three of them and thoughtfully said, "I don't know if I should stay in this town, but I do know that you all make me feel like I belong here. Thank you for your kindness."


	6. Chapter 6

Neil paced back and forth waiting for the man he hired to track Holly down. A knock was heard on the door and he called out for him to enter.

A man in a red hat and blue overalls entered and said, we've searched several of the nearby towns without a clue. However, we have discovered that Holly has an uncle that lives less than a day away from here. We are going to check his farm next.

Neil looked at his associate and said, "Good Hunter your job is to make her come back on her own free will."

Hunter raised an eyebrow and asked, "How do you suppose I do that?"

Neil shrugged and said, "Simple, find out what's special to her, and threaten to destroy it."

…

It was nighttime at the farm, Holly looked at the hairstyle Ford suggested in the mirror and wondered if he liked it. The style was simple and clean, both of which indicated a positive reaction from him… but did he think she was pretty? She pulled her hair down from the bun and flopped back on her bed wondering, 'And why do I care? Am I really going to get out of one bad relationship and hop into another… But, would a relationship with Ford really be bad? She flipped over in her bed and placed a pillow over her ear to dull out the sounds of locus chirping in the background.

…

The next day Holly sat on her bed holding the doctor's pocket square. It smelled like his cologne. She held it close and debated back and forth whether she should return it. Holding it gave her a sense of comfort and made her feel safe, but returning it would give her an excuse to see him again. As she debated in her head, she heard a knock on her door. Holly stood up and opened the door to find Lizette and Carrie. "Hey there," Carrie greeted, "We just wanted to check up on you after yesterday."

"We brought crossaints," Lizzette added. As they ate Carrie and Lizette talked about all the sights and shops in town. Holly tried to pay attention, but she was more concerned on whether or not she should return the pocket square. After a while both girls noticed Holly playing with the cloth in her lap.

Carrie stood up and grabbed Holly's hair brush off the night stand. She walked over to Holly and suggested with a smile, "Why don't we fix your hair and go see him. That could be the first stop on our tour."

Holly smiled and nodded excitedly.

…

The Carrie and Lizette stood outside the Clinic and peered into the window as Holly entered the Clinic. Ford was busy working in his lab when he herd the bell on the door ring. He saw Trouble run to the front door and start mewing happily. Ford put his beaker down and walked over to see who had entered the clinic. "Holly, what brings you here today? Are you not feeling well?" Ford asked.

Holly shook her head "No, actually I just came here to return this to you," Holly said and untied the pocket square from her neck and placed it into his hand.

He noticed she immediately covered the scar on her neck with her hand after she returned the cloth. Ford was silent for a moment before he replied, "Just keep it. I have a bunch of those laying around here."

Holly smiled shyly and replied, "Thank you."

As Holly tied the cloth back around her neck, Ford picked up Trouble who was busy playing with his shoe laces and said, "I know you have to get back to the farm but if you are not busy tonight, Wayne is coming over for dinner. You are welcome to join us."

Holly scratched under Trouble's chin and replied, "I'd love to."

Suddenly two large squeals were heard out the window. Ford turned to see Carrie and Lizette spying on them, "Well, it looks like we are going to be the talk of the town tonight. You better get going, before they start spreading rumors."

Holly nodded and said, "See you tonight."

…

Wayne was working early in the post office trying to sort through today's mail when he saw a customer come in. He walked up to the counter and greeted, "Howdy, can I help you?"

The man took off his hat and said, "I am looking for my old poker buddy Frank. I was told he lived around these parts. Could you give me directions to his farm?" Hunter asked.

Wayne nodded and replied, "Sure, once you go out this door head to south Westtown. His home will be on your right."

The man nodded and handed him a tip. Wayne looked at the tip funny and thought to himself, 'where I come from a simple thank you would have been suffice, but who am I to argue. He then shrugged his shoulders and returned to sorting.

…

Hunter found the house and hid in the wilderness nearby. He sat and watched for the next hour or two before deciding to approach Frank to see if he knew where Holly was living. Hunter knocked on the door and waited for the redheaded farmer to step outside. Frank greeted the stranger, "Howdy there, can I help you."

Hunter smiled sweetly and said, "Hi, I was hoping you could help me find an old friend of mine. She's thin, blonde hair and blue eyed… I believe her name is Hailey… You see she helped me out in high school, and I was hoping to repay the favor."

Frank was suspicious of this young fellow and said, "The only woman around here that fits that description was my niece Holly… but I am afraid she has moved on to Skytree Village."

Hunter nodded and thanked Frank for his time. Before he left Frank asked, "I didn't catch your name boy."

"The name is Hunter," he said before heading to a hotel in a nearby town.

…

After meeting everyone in town, Holly headed over to Ford's clinic. Her hair started to fall, so she pulled her hair out the bun and gently brushed it with her fingers before entering the clinic. When the bell on the door rang, Ford called out, "I'm upstairs Holly."

As Holly climbed the stairs she asked, "How did you know it was me?"

Ford smirked slightly as he replied, "because Wayne is always late."

Holly giggled softly and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ford shook his head and replied, "The soup is just about done. But, if you want to feed Trouble, that would be helpful.

As Holly was getting Trouble's bowl ready, Ford cursed inwardly trying to come up with a topic to talk to her about… "How do you like your hair cut?" he blurted out.

Holly unconsciously reached up and played with a small strand, "It was a little hard to adjust to, but I am glad you suggested the bun…" She paused for a moment as she debated whether or not she should say the next part, "When the girls suggested a makeover, I jumped at it because… I don't want anyone to hold it like this again." She grabbed her hair mimicking what her fiancé used to do to her.

Ford placed the ladle on the spoon rest and approached Holly. It was as if his body moved before his brain as he gently removed her hands from her hair and said, "No one will hurt you like that here."

Their moment was interrupted as Wayne cleared his throat. Ford quickly let go of her hands and asked, "Wayne and Frank, how long have you two been standing there?"

Holly blushed as her Uncle said, "Long enough to know that you are sweet on my niece…but we have bigger problems then that." Frank turned towards Holly and asked, "Do you know a man named Hunter?"

Holly shook her head and replied, "Not personally, but I know of him… He was a business associate of my former fiancé."

Frank then grabbed her arm and said, "We need to go see Mirabelle then. Dinner is going to have to wait."

Ford turned out the fire and followed them out the clinic. As they followed Frank to the general store, he explained the encounter he had with Hunter and finished, "Although you cut your hair, I think it is in your best interest to dye your hair and order contacts. It would make you harder to spot."

Holly nodded in agreement and he continued, "While we get Mirabelle to help you with your hair, we'll go throughout the town and spread the word not to give any information about your whereabouts."

…

Holly sat on the lid of the toilet as Mirabelle squeezed brown hair dye in her hair. Holly felt both scared and self-conscious. She was happy knowing that the whole town was helping keep her safe, but she was also terrified what Neil would do if he discovered her whereabouts…especially, if he found out about Ford… not that their was much to find out."

Mirabelle interrupted her thoughts, "You are going to be alright sweetie. You are one of us, and in this town we protect our own." To lighten the mood she added, "You know, I heard a rumor that Ford has a thing for brunettes."Holly blushed and Mirabelle continued, "Ford is quiet, but he is really sweet. Have you thought about dating him?"

Holly shook her head and replied, "He would never be interested in a girl like me. I have a troubled past and he would be better off without me." Holly pulled her knees into her chest and rested her chin. "I have nothing to offer him."

Mirabelle shook her head, "Trust me, I have known that boy my entire life. Before you, the only thing he showed any interest in was his medical career." She then cautiously added, "And Ford might have more in common with you than you know… Maybe someday he will tell you about it... Alright, now it is time for you to rinse your hair."

…

Mirabelle walked Holly home that evening while the men continued to notify the town of Hunter's appearance. When they reached her door, Mirabelle grabbed Holly's hands and said, "I know your scared right now, especially after the way Neil treated you…"

"Who told you?" Holly asked fearfully.

Mirabelle shushed Holly and said, "Your Uncle Frank and I have been dating for years. There is nothing we keep from each other." She then continued, "I know your scared, but you should think about giving Ford a chance. I know he can be a bit awkward, but that's because he's never had someone truly love him. I am not going to go into his background, because that's something he should share with you. But, I can tell you that he is kind and loyal."

Holly nodded and replied, "I will think about it. Thank you for your help tonight, but could I possibly ask you for one more thing?"

"Of course," Mirabelle responded.

"Please don't repeat what my Uncle told you about me. I don't want anyone to know anymore than necessary about my past," Holly requested.

Mirabelle nodded, "I will keep it to myself. Now you go get some rest."

Holly let out a yawn and wished Mirabelle goodnight.

…

A few weeks later…

After a long day of working in the fields, Holly didn't have much strength left to chop firewood, which she desperately needed. She wondered if Ford had any medicine to help her recover her stamina faster. She walked into the doctor's office feeling slightly lightheaded, but saw that she had a patient ahead of her. She sat down on the couch next to a father and a son. The little boy was crying softly, "Please don't make me go papa. I don't like the doctor."

"Nonsense, Dr. Ford is the only one who can help you take care of this nagging cough," The man said to his son.

"But the doctor is mean…He is going to give me a shot," The boy cried.

Holly decided to speak to the boy and said, "Doctor Ford is a very kind doctor. If he does give you a shot, you can bet it is the best thing for you."

"But I don't want a shot…," the child wailed.

Holly paused for a moment and asked, "What's your name sweetheart?"

"Colin," the child answered.

Holly smiled and said, "Well I am going to let you in on a little secret, you see that candy jar over by the front door?" she pointed, "Doctor Ford keeps his magical lollipops over there, they instantly make shots feel better."

Colin looked in awe and said, "Really? I'm gonna go get one right now. Thanks."

Doctor Ford walked in at that moment and called, "Hector and Colin." He looked over to Holly with a smile before he walked back with his other patients.

…

Several Minutes later, Frank and Colin walked out with Ford. Ford walked Colin to the door and handed the child a second lollipop.

He then signaled to Holly to follow him into the room, "So what seems to be troubling you today?"

She sat on the bed and explained, "Well, I am struggling to finish my work during the day because I just don't have enough energy. I have been trying to eat right, but I still feel like I am on the verge of collapsing. I was hoping you had something that would help me out."

Doctor Ford nodded and replied, "Yes, I could probably help you out with that, but first I would like to check you over. It has been a few weeks since I last saw you in my office and I would like to keep track of your recovery. Would you mind if I examined you?

She nodded and he did several standard tests including a blood test.

"What were you doing today, when you started to feel weak?" Ford asked.

"Today I mostly focused on watering and harvesting my garden. When I went to go chop some firewood for tonight, I could barely lift the axe," she explained.

After he was satisfied with his examination he said, "Despite the lack of energy, I can tell that you are gradually improving. Your face has some color to it, although a little pale now. Your body weight is approaching a normal range, and several of your bruises have vanished. The blood test results are going to take a few days to come in, but I will be glad to give you a vitamin shot which will help boost your energy. However, I urge you not to push yourself too hard. You are just getting started doing farm work, which is hard labor. After the condition you were in when I first met you, it's no wonder that you are having a difficult time."

He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a syringe and medicine and asked with a smirk on his face, "Would you like a magic lollypop afterwards?"

Holly looked up at him surprised, "You heard that huh?"

Ford nodded "I thought it was creative…I appreciate it. I've always worried about Colin... He's just such a quiet child."

Holly smiled and replied, "He will be fine. Sometimes it just takes the right person to help a person out of their shell. I mean look at Wayne and you… I have never seen such close friends."

As Ford was bandaging her arm, he thought, 'Yeah, I just sometimes wish I had another person who I could truly depend on.' When He looked up from her arm he noticed something was off. She was sweating and pale. He noticed her wobble and caught her before she hit the floor. He laid her back on the table and realized she fainted.

…

When Holly came to, there was a cold compress sitting on her forehead and Ford was mixing together some kind of medicine by her side. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Exhausted," she answered.

He let out a sigh and said, "I am going to look at the inside of your lower eyelid."

He pulled her lower eyelid down and continued, "Just as I thought. The inside of your eyelid should be pink. Instead it is the color white. This is a sign of anemia."

"What's that?" Holly asked.

Ford looked at her and explained, "In short I believe you have an iron deficiency. I have made a combination of Iron, Calcium, and Fiber. Take it home with you and take it daily. I would also suggest you add more meat in your diet. But for tonight, I am going to keep you here for observation."

She gave Ford a weak smile and said, "There is another explanation." Ford gave her an odd look but allowed her to continue, "Like Colin I have a phobia of needles." she then held out her hand and said, "Hold me."

Ford looked puzzled for a moment before realizing what she was saying. He placed his hand over hers and asked, "If you are scared of needles, why did you speak up for me in front of Colin?"

Holly weakly answered, "I didn't grow up in a loving and supportive community like Westtown. Where I lived, everything was about money. If I would have stayed there, I would have been married off to the highest bidder. That kind of environment made it hard to trust anyone… However, your kindness has shown me that there is still some humanity left in the world… I can't say I trust you completely… But I do see that you have a good heart." Something about what she said made him unconsciously hold her hand a little tighter. She yawned and said, "I'm tired. Thank you for holding my hand."

Ford thought about what she had told him and wanted to find out more. However, he knew that it was going to take time to fully gain her trust.

…

Holly woke up to the sound of the clinic door ringing. Ford was carrying a bag of wild herbs into the clinic and noticed her stir. Trouble who was sleeping on Holly's chest stood up and ran over to Ford. "Good morning," she greeted.

"Morning," Ford replied as he picked the cat up, "Your Uncle Hector and I chopped and delivered about a week's worth of firewood to your farm. It should hold you over until your iron levels have recovered."

Holly sat up from the bed and said, "Thank you. I am not sure how I could I ever repay you?"

Ford smiled and said, "We'll talk about it after the beverage bash. You haven't forgotten about it have you?"

Holly shook her head no and said, "I can't wait."

"Good, because it's this weekend and I can't stand the thought of listening to Brad crow about winning for another year," Ford replied.

Holly nodded, "I will give it my best. I am having a cow delivered to the farm this morning, so maybe I can bring in some milk. Speaking of which, it's probably hungry, I best be going."

Ford flipped his sign in the clinic window to open and said, "Remember, take your medicine, eat more meat, and don't overwork yourself. I want you in tip top shape for the competition this weekend."

…

Hunter recounted his meeting to Neil and said, "Her Uncle Frank claims that Holly went to Skytree Village, but I sense that he is not telling the truth. Is it possible that she could have stayed elsewhere in the town or is he just trying to throw me off her trail and giving me the wrong city?"

Neil paced back and forth, "I'm not sure… But Skytree Village is a lot closer than Westtown. Investigate there first and if we don't find her, there are plenty of ways you could 'persuade' dear old Uncle Frank into talking."

Hunter nodded and replied, "I will allow my horses to rest up tonight and head out first thing tomorrow morning."

"Very good," Neil agreed. Before Hunter left Neil continued, "And remember, if I don't get my fiancé back, your wife won't get her treatments and will be as good as dead." Hunter looked down at his feet and nodded, "Yes Sir."

…

It was the day of the Beverage Bash. Holly's bruises had finally healed and she decided to wear the blue polka dotted skirt that she first tried with Miranda. When she made it to the festival grounds, she looked around for Ford, but bumped into a very upset looking Carrie first.

"Can you believe that man? I can't believe I married to that pig!" Carrie complained.

Holly's eyes got big and asked, "What's got you so upset Carrie?"

Carrie's eyes swelled up with tears, "That jerk is kicking me off his team for the third year in a row. I wish I never married him."

Holly felt bad for her and said, "Well Ford and I haven't picked a team yet. Would you like to join ours?"

She saw Ford in the distance walking towards them and Carrie threw her hands around her. "Oh Holly, thank you soooooooo much. You truly are a great friend."

After Carrie ran off Ford approached her and asked, "Did Carrie just ask to join our team?"

"Yeah, what luck we would get the other chef at the Garden Grill to help us!" she said excitedly.

Ford pressed his glasses against his nose in an annoyed fashion, "I don't know if I would call it luck… In any case, thanks to you Colin has asked to join our team."

Holly beamed, "Oh that is soooo sweet, I wonder what he brought."

Ford smirked and replied, "You should know. If a magic lollipop can make a shot better, it is certain to make a great cup of tea."

…

Across the field, Brad looked over at his wife Carrie talking with the crowds. He felt bad that he kicked his wife off his team again but he bet money that he would take the home another victory. He knew in advanced that Holly was going to be on Ford's team, Ford was always his biggest competition in the past…Probably because the boy was constantly consuming caffeine. This year, he had a plan to beat Ford…floating in his tea pot.

Megan blew a whistle and announced, "It's time for all the groups to go to their assigned tables." She then explained the rules. "Each of you have a pot of hot water that has been brewing for several minutes. Figure out who you want to be the team captain, and they will put the contents into the kettle. After all the ingredients are inside, you will start a timer. When the timer goes off, your team captain will deliver a cup of tea to everyone here. Everyone will have two votes for the best cup of tea… We do that because otherwise you all would vote for yourselves," she said to the crowd who all erupted with laughter.

Holly walked over to the table which had an electronic tea kettle with a top on it. Carrie asked her, "Since this is your first year Holly, would you like to be team captain?"

Holly shrugged and said, "Sure, sounds like fun. Each team member put their ingredient in the plate on the middle of the table for Holly to grab. Carrie put Colin on her shoulders, so he could see as she worked on making the winning pot of tea. "Good luck everyone," Colin said looking at Holly and Ford on the opposite side the table.

Holly opened the tea pot and gave a startled gasp when she saw what was floating inside. Fords eyes got big when he saw Holly drop the tea kettle. He quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away from it. He heard Carrie yell, "Good god, what happened?" and felt a painful sting on his arm.

When the tea kettle hit the floor a realistic looking plastic snake fell out of it. "Hey how did snakey get in there? He's ruined now!" Colin cried. Carrie decided to carry Colin to his father to help console the child. Ford hissed in pain as the hot water into his sleeve. He then turned Holly around and asked, "Are you okay? Did you get burned?"

She shook her head no and noticed his arm was wet.

"Oh my Goddess Ford, I am so sorry," she said as she saw him struggle to take off his jacket. She gently took his hand and helped unbutton his sleeve to see an angry looking burn. Ford pursed his lips irritably and said, "I have some aloe back at the clinic. You stay here and enjoy the festival."

Holly's eyes lit up when he said 'aloe' and said, "Hold up. While I was waiting for the festival to start, I gathered a few wild herbs for you to take back to your clinic. I figured you would be able to use them for your experiments. Anyway, Aloe is one of the things I picked up." She pulled out a baggie with the plant leaves inside and handed them to Ford.

Ford smiled at her and said, "That was really thoughtful Holly. Thank you."

Holly held his sleeve out the way while he applied the aloe. "It is the least I could do…besides, there's no chance I can keep my promise now."

"What promise," Ford asked.

Holly replied, "When I was injured, you said I could pay you back by winning the festival. Now there are no chances of that happening."

Ford was surprised that she really thought he just wanted to beat Brad. Ford looked around to make sure there was no one around before confessing, "Holly, I didn't really invite you because I wanted to beat Brad." Holly stopped tending to his arm for a moment and waited for him to explain further. He quietly whispered, "I just wanted to spend time with you."

Holly started to blush and didn't know what to say. Instead, she decided to show him how she felt. She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. The entire town who was pretending not to be listening suddenly started to whoop and clap, causing both Ford and Holly to turn red with embarrassment. Ford was completely out of his comfort zone, so he said, "I am going back to the clinic to wrap this."

…

Brad was in a foul mood when he returned to the diner. He accidentally left his milk by the tea kettle while it was brewing and the milk turned sour, ruining his tea and causing him to lose the bet.

The rest of the town also followed him back to the restaurant for the usual afterparty, and the hot topic of the night was the kiss heard round the world.

Wayne held his glass up to the bar and said, "I would like to make a toast, to Holly…the one person in the world who can touch Ford and not have him looking like he wants to peel the skin straight off his body!"

Frank laughed, "Woooooh I thought for sure he was going to pull out his hand sanitizer, but he surprised us all."

"They do make an awfully cute couple," Carrie commented, "on a different note, has anyone figured out who put that snake in the teapot? It was a terrible prank and it ruined Colin's favorite toy."

Everyone looked around at each other, but no one came forward.

Brad feeling scared of being caught decided to joke, "Maybe Ford did it himself, so he could be the hero of the day."

"That's not even funny. Ford has never been one known to pull pranks. Besides he got hurt trying to protect her from getting burnt. Whoever did this was petty and immature." Carrie defended.

Brad knew that Carrie wouldn't even look at him tonight if he said anything else, so he walked back into the kitchen to get more chips for the tables.

…  
A few days later Holly finished her chores and decided to go searching for some wild aloe to bring back Ford. She figured by now he had used most of it treating the burn on his arm and was hoping she could undo the damage done by the kiss. She walked through the crossroads and saw a large bunch of it sitting on some property to the right of Uncle Franks home. As she gently cut off some leaves, she felt something cold touch the back of her neck. She turned around and screamed as she came face to face with a gigantic bear. Holly screamed at the top of her lungs and put her hands in front of her face for protection.

…

A petite older woman was traveling through Westtown to get back to her home in Lulukoko when she heard a scream. She looked in the direction the sound was coming and saw what looked like a large animal leering over a young woman. The older woman was horrified, and hurried back in town where she saw Wayne and Ford talking in the street. She called out to them, "PLEASE! HELP, THERE IS A YOUNG WOMAN BEING ATTACKED BY SOME ANIMAL!"

Wayne and Ford looked at each other and hurried in the direction. They were easily able to locate her from the horrible screams that carried through the valley. 'That sound's like Holly,' Ford thought as he unconsciously ran faster. When they arrived they found Holly curled up in a ball on the ground sobbing while the bear stood up and made various noises. Wayne smiled when he saw the bear and said, "Grizzly," the bear turned around at the sound of his name and Wayne continued, "Stop fooling." The bear let out a sad groan and sat down grabbing his toes and rolling around.

Ford walked over to Holly and extended his hand out to her, "That is Hector's pet bear, Grizzly Adams. Hector rescued him from a circus. He's scary but harmless."

Holly was shaking as she accepted his help up, "Thank you," she said to them both, before turning away to hide her embarrassment.

Wayne stopped her from leaving and said, "Holly, we are getting ready to meet Brad, Carrie and Lizzette at the pond for a picnic. Would you care to join us?"

Ford noticed Holly was still trembling from the incident, and when she didn't immediately answer Wayne, he said, "I think she needs a moment to catch her breath first. You go on ahead Wayne, we'll meet up with you."

Ford stood next to Holly and pulled a warm thermos and a plastic cup out of his medical bag. He poured what some of the contents of the thermos into a cup and handed it to her, "Here, it's lavender tea. It will help calm your nerves."

She shakily accepted the cup and took a sip before saying, "Thank you." The tea was sweet and fragrant. As she drank, Ford asked her, "How have you been? I haven't seen you coming through town lately. Are things going well for you back at the farm."

Holly nodded and said, "I'm fine… We can meet up with your friends now."

"They are your friend's too," Ford replied, sensing something was wrong

Holly looked down and replied, "With Neil searching for me, it is far too dangerous for me to get close to anyone."

Ford took one of her hands in his and asked, "Holly, is Neil the one who hurt you?"

Holly started bawling and he knew the answer. After several minutes of crying into his shoulder, Holly managed to calm herself, and said, "We should probably be going. The others are probably worried."

The group gathered in front of the waterfall on top of a red checkered blanket. Holly and Ford joined the circle around the food and fixed themselves plates. After their plates was made Lisette asked Holly if she was going to compete in this year's fashion show.

Holly shook her head, "I don't know… Tell me about it," she replied

"Oh my gosh, you have to participate! This year's theme is Halloween and it is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to make the costumes" Carrie gushed.

Ford pushed his glasses higher on his nose, "It looks like I will be treating a lot more cuts and sewn fingers this year. I better stock up on band aids."

The group chuckled and Wayne said, "If you want an easy costume this year, you can borrow my cowboy hat."

Holly smiled and replied, "Thanks, but I will figure something out."

…

Ford was walking Holly home and noticed she still seemed uneasy around him, "Holly, did I do something to offend you?" Ford asked curiously.

Holly shook her head, "No, of course not. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I never should have kissed you without your consent. I'm sorry Ford… I just thought that maybe we might be… oh forget it."

Ford was shocked by what he was hearing but knew that now was the time to make his intentions clear. "Holly, I do have feelings for you. When I left the beverage bash, I was hoping you would come with me. I just didn't want to be the center of attention," he then turned red and continued, "Normally, I find skin on skin contact repulsive, but with you I find it… stimulating."

They reached the door and she asked, "In that case, may I?"

Ford leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, allowing her to draw her own conclusion.


End file.
